PM welcomes visa’s expansion, urges tech hub in BD
Global payments company Visa has expressed strong interest in expanding its business operations and investments in Bangladesh, citing vast potential in digital financial services, technology, and innovation.
The interest was highlighted during a courtesy call paid by Visa’s Asia-Pacific President, Stephen Karpin, on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Division in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
The two discussed opportunities surrounding investment, digital payments, technology, and innovation.
Welcoming increased private-sector collaboration in Bangladesh’s technology and digital financial sectors, Prime Minister Rahman invited Visa to set up a global service centre or technology development centre in the country to generate employment opportunities.
According to the Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary, Shahadat Shadhin, the Prime Minister emphasized that cooperation with international corporations like Visa is vital to strengthening Bangladesh’s digital economy, investment landscape, and technological capacity.
The commitment was shared during a courtesy meeting between Visa Asia-Pacific President Stephen Karpin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Division in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
The discussions focused on creating an effective digital payment infrastructure to enable Bangladeshi freelancers to bring home their foreign earnings safely and easily.
To accelerate the shift toward a digital economy, Visa aims to encourage bank account holders who do not currently use cards to transition to card-based digital transactions through strategic investment and technological support.
Furthermore, Karpin highlighted Visa’s interest in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to make the country’s banking and digital payment ecosystems faster, safer, and more convenient.
The delegation also discussed integrating Visa payment systems into public infrastructure and government services including metro rail networks, toll plazas, and expressways to streamline daily transactions for citizens.
Additionally, Visa expressed its eagerness to contribute to Bangladesh’s growing digital and creative economy.
The high-level meeting was attended by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Post, Telecommunication, ICT, Science and Technology Rehan Asif Asad, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman, alongside senior officials from Visa.
